Pisgah Timber Harvest

July 24, 2017

The Division of Forest and Lands recently wrapped up layout and marking on a project to harvest timber and improve wildlife habitat on 165 acres at Pisgah State Park starting in the fall of 2017. This project is located off Reservoir Road in the management Criteria 2 area as described in the Pisgah State Park Management Plan. In this part of the Park the goal is to develop an uneven-aged forest with all the different age classes, from seedlings to large saw timber represented. The management technique used is a combination of Group Selection (small opening from 0.1 – 1.0 acre) and partial cutting. For this project in the western portion of the harvest area only Groups were used. In the remainder of the area partial cutting (referred to as “tending”) will be done between Groups. This cutting will allow some sunlight to reach the forest floor and help establish regeneration of species like red oak and white pine.

Regeneration 1 year post harvest in similar cutting in the first timber sale at Pisgah State Park. Deer and other wildlife had fed on (browsed) the tops of many young trees. Bats and even interior nesting birds will bring their young to these openings to feed on the insects that use them.

Regeneration four years post -harvest has already grown out of mammals. The dense young trees hide them from hawks and owls.

Several Groups in the current project have been located in pine with sparse tops like these. Crowns here are small due to overcrowding and are also affected by White Pine needle disease which causes the tree to shed more needles than normal, earlier in the year adversely affecting photosynthesis, growth and overall health.

Access for the harvest will be up the ATV/snow machine access trail. The logging contractor will be responsible for fixing the first quarter mile of the trail from NH Rt 119 to the log landing north of the power line. The Division of Forests & Lands will be supplying gravel for the repairs. Road repairs will happen this fall.

Foresters worked with Park Manager Whip Newell to identify problem trees along roads and trails within the project area. Trees like this one with heart rot will be removed as part of the harvest.

The harvest operations will take place on dry or frozen ground but cease when snow fall begins. Logs will be brought to the log landing with a “forwarder”. The equipment will cross Reservoir Road just south of South Link Trail. Watch for signs when the harvest starts.

For more information on this this project and timber harvesting in State Parks and State Forests, contact Project Forester, Inge Seaboyer at 603-464-3453 or Regional Forester, Scott Rolfe at 603-227-8741.